Coat and hat protector.



E. GARGON.

COAT AND-HAT PROTECTOR.

APPLICATION 11mm 11.10, 1913.

1,105,504. Patented July 28, 1914.

ihmcntor witnesses dllonlcgs 'I'HE NORRIS PETERS CO" PHOTO'LITHO. WASHINGTON, D. L.

EDWARD GARGON, O1? PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GOAT AND HAT PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 28, 1914.

Application filed April 16, 1913. Serial No. 761,624.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Enwnnn Gannon, subject of the King of Italy, residing at Philadelpl'iia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coat and Hat Protectors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in coat and hat protectors, particularly that style of protector where an alarm is given when a person makes a mistake either intentionally or unintentionally in taking his coat and hat from a coat and hat rack.

An object of the invention is to provide a protector of this type which can be set by the removal of a selective key or peg, the removal ofthe key or peg creating such conditions within the protector that if a mistake is ma do a signal will be given.

A further object of the invention is to provide a protector which may be used in connection with hooks already in use or with hooks installed with the invention.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plurality of protectors connected in parallel signal circuits, all of the pro tectors being operated by a single battery or other source of elcctromotive liorcc.

A further object of the invention is to do away with the inconvenience consequent upon the use of the protectors at present in use, and construct a coat and hat protector simple as possible, with very few working parts, as shown in the drawing.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings where one embodiment of the invention is shown, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention showing the same lo cated adjacent a coat hook. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section on the line 2-9.- of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a section through the box structure shown in Fig. 1 taken at right angles to the sectional plane of Fig. 9. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View showing the invention as applied to a multiple alarm circuit.

In barber shops, public waiting rooms, restaurants, theaters, etc., it is desirable that the patrons be able to hang their coats and hats in such a way as to be protected, and it is further desirable that an alarm 01 some kind be given in case a mistake is made in the taking of a coat or hat.

To accomplish this end, my invention consists generally of a box structure, having mounted therein a sliding portion of an electrical alarm circuit, which is adapted to be moved by means oi. a peg or key, this peg or key being selective, and fitting only the box structure to which it belongs. In the preferred form, a wire guard or loop rests upon the coat or hat, or both, and the ends of the wire guard or loop are inserted in the box structure, one end of the wire guard or loop being connected to the alarm circuit in such a way that if contact is made between this end and the movable portion of the circuit a signal will be given. The wire guard or loop is so proportioned and so positioncd with respect to the box structure that it will normally hold the contact end out of engagement with the moving part of the electric circuit, but before the hat or coat can be removed, the wire guard or loop must be raised or lifted, and in this way the circuit will be closed, unless the proper peg or key is inserted For the purpose of moving the sliding part of the alarm circuit out of engaging position with the contact end of the wire guard or loop.

In order that the invention will be more fully understoml, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, where it will be seen that 1 represents a box structure of any suitable size and proportion, one of these boxes being preferably located above each of the coat and hat hooks 2 located on the wall or any other proper place oi the room in which the device is to be installed.

Surrounding the coat and hat hook is a wire loop 3, which moves within a given radius of box 1, the ends 5 and 6 oi. the wire guard or loop Eentering the opposite sides of the box structure 1, the end 5 being bent so as to be pivoted in one side of the box. The other end 6 passes into the box and is provided with a hook 7, said hook being of electric conducting material and connected to a wire 8 which is connected to battery 9 or any other source of electrical current.

Rigidly mounted between the opposite sides of the box structure 1 is a plurality of sliding bars 10, these bars being made of wood, metal, or any suitable material and serving to define tracks upon which is slidably mounted a block 11, the lower end of the block preferably having formed therein grooves for the purpose of guiding the same on the rods 10. It is to be understood, however, that any method. may be used for guiding the block 11 upon the sliding bars 10, and that I am not limited in any way to the particular showing disclosed in the drawing. The block 11, which may be made preferably L shaped, has upon opposite sides thereof hooks 12 and 13, these hooks being adapted to engage rods or wires 15 and 1 1 respectively, which are connected in any approved manner to opposite sides of the box structure 1 and obviously are parallel to the guide rods 10. In order to constrain the block 11 to remain in position adjacent the end 6 of the hat loop or guard, there is provided. a spring 16 having one end secured to the box and the other end secured to the movable block. The upper end of the block 11 carries a contact member 17 which may be made in any approved manner, the method shown herein being to wrap around several pins extending from the block a continuous electrical conductor 18 which connects with a signal, such as a bell 19, this bell 19 being connected by means of a wire 20 to the battery 9 or other source of electric current. It will be obvious from this that whenever contact member 7 comes in contact with member 17, current will flow from battery 9 through wire 8, through contacts 7 and 17, through wire 18, through bell l9, and back to the battery 9 by means of wire 20.

At the side of the box 1 which receives the end 6 of the hat guard or loop 3 is a hole so shaped that only a similarly shaped key or peg can be inserted, the keys or pegs being made in different shapes and sizes, so that the proper one for one box will not fit the hole of the adjoining box, or any box in that circuit, if preferred. When the peg or key 22 is in place the inwardly extending shank 23 thereof will engage the lower end of the block and hold the contact 17 away from the contact 7.

In the use of the structure shown herein a coat may first be hung upon a hook after which a hat may be hung upon the hook, after which the hat is surrounded by means of the wire loop or guard 3. The key or peg 22 is then removed, the result of which is that spring 16 will instantly force the block 11 to the right until the same engages a stud or look 21 of the box structure 1. By reason of the position of the contact 7 being in front of contact 17 no circuit will be completed and the bell or alarm will not be sounded. "When the holder of key or peg 22 desires to remove his coat and hat he will first insert key or peg 22 in the lock 21 and force block 11 back to its former position out of proximity to the contact 7. The wire loop or guard may then be raised and the coat and hat removed from the hook or guard without fear of sounding the bell or alarm. However, should a person holding some other key or peg than the one corresponding to the lock 21in that particular box endeavor to force into it he will find that it will stick and he will then know he is at the wrong hook. If he persists and removes the hat intentionally without first being able to move the block 11 out of proximity to the contact 7, the raising of the loop or guard about the ends 5 and G as pivots to remove the coat or hat lwill result in the closing of the c1rcu1t between points 7 and 17 and the alarm will instantly sound. Of course, the mere raising of the loop or guard with no attempt to insert a peg or key in the hole 21 will also result in the sounding of an alarm.

It is obvious that under certain constructions of the lower part of the block 11, the wires 15 and 14 and their corresponding staples 12 and 13 respectively will not be needed. Further, particular sha es of the contacts 7 and 17 may be adjuste or varied without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being necessary merely to have enough of the end dextending within the box so that when the loop is raised it will be su'tiicient to move the contact 7 back to the contact 17. I

As shown in Fig. 4, the protector shown herein may be connected in a multiple circuit, the battery 241. being connected to a wire 25, which has leading therefrom a plurality of leaders 26 connected to one side of the protector. Leading from the opposite side of each of the protectors is a Wire 27 leading to a main line wire 28, this wire 28 being connected to a suitable alarm 29 which is connected to the battery 24: by means of return wire 30. By means of this circuit, it will be seen that whenever one of the plurality of protectors is tampered with it should give a signal, the bell 29 corresponding to the bell 19 shown in Fig. 2 will be sounded, each protector acting independent of the other protectors in this multiple circuit.

As shown in the diagrammatic view indicated in Fig. 4, the protectors have been arranged vertically, this arrangement indicating that the protectors may be used upon different floors of an apartment, but it will be entirely within the scope of the invention, of course, to have the protectors arranged in a vertical line and have them fed by one battery, and connected by one alarm bell as indicated in the said figure.

Cir

The invention is in no way limited by the specific arrangement of parallel circuits.

What I claim is:

1. In a coat and hat protector a box structure, a wire coat and hat guard having the ends thereof terminating within the box structure, an electric alarm circuit having a movable terminal adapted to move toward and away from one of the ends of the wire guard, said end being spaced from the eontact when the guard is in normal position, the other terminal of the alarm circuit being connected to the Wire guard, and select-.

ing means adapted to move said movable contact away from said end of the wire guard.

2. A. coat and hat protector comprising a pivotally mounted wire guard, an electric alarm circuit having one end connected to the Wire guard, a movable contact connected to the alarm circuit adapted to move toward and away from one end of the guard, selecting means adapted to move said movable contact, said wire guard adapted to swing to engage the movable contact when the latter has been moved toward said end.

3. A coat and hat protector comprising a box structure, a block slidably mounted within said box structure, an electric alarm circuit having one terminal carried by the block, a wire guard pivotally mounted upon the box structure and having an end extending into the box structure, the other terminal of the alarm circuit being connected to said end, selecting means adapted to move the block, and resilient means for holding the block against said selecting means, a terminal carried by the block adapted to move in proximity to the said end of the guard and engage said end when the wire guard is swung pivotally about the box.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD GARGON.

W itnesseS RICHARD F. MALLAEO, Hownnn E. HUDSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

